Packers advance to NFC title game with 42-20 wipeout of Seahawks

Packers advance to NFC title game with 42-20 wipeout of Seahawks

Green Bay overcomes 14-0 deficit, buries Seattle at snowy Lambeau

By Tony Walter
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com January 13, 2008

The eyes of Wisconsin are looking toward Texas today, but Green Bay Packers fans won't quickly dismiss the snowy special Saturday at Lambeau Field that put the team one victory away from the Super Bowl.

The team's 42-20 whipping of the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional playoffs Saturday sends the Packers to the NFC championship game one week from today, and their confidence is not lacking.

"They believe they're going to win the Super Bowl," head coach Mike McCarthy said of his players after they ignored a 14-point deficit in the first four minutes of the game and dismantled coach Mike Holmgren's team with six-straight touchdown drives. "This is a very confident football team."

If the New York Giants defeat the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium today (3:30 p.m.), the first NFC championship game will be held at Lambeau Field since the title season of 1996, with the Giants as guests. If the Cowboys win, it's back to Dallas and another attempt to reverse the string of Packers losses there.

"I've never been a bigger Giants fan than I am right now," said Tracy Rice of Milwaukee, as she joined in a parking-lot party after the game.

Quarterback Brett Favre shares her feelings.

"We'd love to play at home next week and that goes for everybody in this building," he said Saturday after registering a quarterback rating of 137.6. "But we've got to win the next game, whether it's here or Dallas."

Favre threw three touchdown passes and created a buzz in the press box with a patented escape act and forward pitch to Donald Lee in the third quarter that set up a touchdown.

The forecast of possible snow flurries Saturday proved to be as underrated as this Packers team was when the games started to count. But a career day for running back Ryan Grant, Favre's mastery, and a defense that punished as it performed stirred a record crowd at Lambeau Field to one of its highest decibel levels.

And all that as 2 inches of snow fell, bringing grounds crews using brooms and shovels to help the teams and officials find the yard lines, and reminding the visiting Seahawks who, where and when they were playing.

As one sign said, "Holmgren, This Ain't Your House Anymore."

McCarthy said he was concerned by the early 14-0 score because he thought the snow could hamper a comeback.

"We were told that the snow would stop with the kickoff," he said.

Grant, the sudden running back star who must have general managers throughout the NFL wondering how they missed on this one, shrugged off fumbles on two of the first three times he touched the ball.

"It happened. That sucks. But let's move on," Grant said of his mood during the disastrous start of the game. He credited Favre for bolstering him after the second fumble.

"He told me to stay with it, that there was a lot of game left," Grant said.

Favre could relate.

"I told him that if there's one person who knows what it's like to be in your shoes, it's me," Favre said. "I don't think you can make a habit of doing what we did today. But we did it (fell behind) so quickly so there was a lot of time."

Grant was enjoying the ride.

"This is another chance for us to take care of what we have to take care of," he said.

McCarthy, the stoic architect of this journey, praised Grant's resiliency.

"He's very consistent," McCarthy said. "But I didn't think he'd run for 200 yards in January when we got him in training camp."

Of his team's work Saturday, McCarthy crowed.

"It's the performance you're looking for. We didn't blink."

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